HAMILTON — It would cost about $227 million for the district to make every fix and bring its 24 schools up to code, about $93 million more than previously estimated, an architect said tonight.

John Veisz, whose firm was contracted by the board to study its facilities, estimated that $113 million would be required to shore up the district’s 17 elementary schools, with $74 million required at the high school and $39 million at the middle school levels.

Faced with the hefty price tag, board members tonight immediately suggested the option of building new schools, combining student bodies or changing district lines, which Veisz speculated could save up to $30 million.

“If we’re going to put all this money in schools that are probably never going to meet the criteria we expect, we should think about combining these institutions, or putting something together that’s large enough to handle two or three communities,” board member Anthony Celentano said.

“If it’s $10 million to bring an elementary school up to code, we have to ask about the cost of building a new school,” board member Jennifer Riddell said.

Included in Veisz’s estimates are about $13 million in critical safety costs and $30 million to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Costs to remove hazardous materials, such as asbestos — which Veisz’s firm found at 12 schools last year — were not included.

About $20 million of the facility project could be covered by grants or energy-savings programs, including $2 million in roof projects recently approved by the state Department of Education, Veisz said.

The issues in the school range from manageable renovations — such as making restrooms wheelchair-accessible — to major expansions or additions that may outlive the schools they’re built on.

Some older multistory elementary schools, such as Greenwood and Kuser, would require new vestibules to house two different elevator systems.

“The question is to scrutinize and put the energy and cost effort into schools that we know are going to move forward into the next decade and beyond,” Veisz said.

As unclear as the future of the school district’s facilities may be, it seems just as certain that the district will have to bond much of the construction costs, requiring voter approval.

“It’s the elephant in the room: Where’s this funding going to come from?” Superintendent of Schools James Parla said. “You can’t raise that kind of money from capital reserve or the taxpayers. You’re going to have to borrow that money, and it’s going to be very difficult to swallow that $227 million pill.”

Parla suggested the district could segment out about $20 million at a time but not until “basic decisions” — such as merging schools or building anew — were made.

Board member Rich Kanka stressed the importance of acting quickly before costs increased.

Last year, the district estimated about $134 million in facilities costs using outdated engineering costs, which accounted for much of the $93 million difference with Veisz’s estimates.

“The roofs don’t get any newer. The floors don’t get any newer,” Kanka said. “The more we wait, the more it’s going to cost this district to get everything fixed.”

Board members have frequently pointed to Hamilton High School West as an example. Because it hadn’t been regularly maintained, the board spent nearly $350,000 to repair its sewage system after it failed and flooded parts of the school.

“Ongoing building maintenance and building improvements is one of the biggest expenses in districts,” Veisz said. “When you have a district of this size and magnitude, that becomes exponentially more challenging.”